Epicurus & Cicero (2018)

A lecture on Epicureanism, focused on texts by Epicurus and Cicero, for an Introduction to Philosophy course at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC, Canada in January 2018.

Editable, PPTX version can be found here:
http://dx.doi.org/10.17613/M6H541

Philosophy
Epicurus

Transcript

1. Epicurus
   & Cicero
   PHIL 102, UBC
   Christina Hendricks
   Spring 2018
   Bust of Epicurus from the Pergamon Museum, Berlin,
   uploaded to Wikimedia Commons by Captmondo,
   licensed CC BY-SA 3.0
   Except images licensed otherwise, this presentation
   is licensed CC BY 4.0
   

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2. Timeline
   Socrates: 469-399 BCE
   Plato: 427-348 BCE
   Epicurus: 341-271 BCE
   Cicero: c. 106-43BCE
   (Roman)
   Roman copy of a bust of Epicurus, after a lost Greek
   original, Wikimedia Commons, public domain
   

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3. Macedonia & Greece, 336 BCE
   Much of
   Greece
   conquered
   by Philip of
   Macedon
   (Father of
   Alexander
   the Great)
   Map of Macedonia,
   Wikimedia Commons,
   licensed CC BY SA 2.5
   

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4. Alexander the Great’s
   empire, 334-323 BCE
   Macedon Empire, Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY SA 3.0
   

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5. Texts we’re reading
   • Epicurus: “Letter to Menoeceus”: a letter by
   Epicurus to someone named Menoeceus, telling him
   how to live a good life
   • Epicurus: “Principal Doctrines”: a list of short
   sayings by Epicurus, designed to be easily
   remembered and put into practice
   • Cicero: Selections from De Finibus Book 1:
   a dialogue that includes multiple philosophical views
   prevalent in Rome at the time
   

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6. Epicurus: epistemology
   Epicurus is an empiricist
   • the original source of
   information for
   knowledge is experience
   • Either from sensation of
   things outside of us or
   experience of our own
   thoughts & feelings
   Icons by stephanie kadam, from Noun Project,
   licensed CC BY 3.0
   

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7. Epicurus: Physics
   Argument: why, for Epicurus,
   • the universe is made up only of matter and void
   (emptiness)
   • matter is made up of smallest particles called “atoms”
   This argument will be on the document camera on screen
   in class next week
   

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8. Gods & the soul
   The gods do not control the universe; it works on its
   own through principles of physics
   There is no such thing
   as an immaterial,
   immortal soul
   o The soul is made of
   matter: atoms
   o Soul & body bound
   together; soul cannot
   operate outside body
   Hermes, Dionysos, Ariadne & Poseidon, in the Louvre, from Wikimedia Commons,
   Public Domain
   

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9. With winter comes death, Flickr photo by Keith Trice, licensed CC BY 2.0
   Epicurus on death
   Outline Epicurus’ argument in Letter to
   Menoeceus, first paragraph under “Don’t fear
   death”
   Discuss the strength/weakness of this
   argument in discussion classes this week.
   

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10. Evaluating arguments
    Questions to ask:
    1. Are the premises true?
    2. If the premises are true, does the conclusion follow
    with certainty or with high probability?
    o Deductive arguments: aim to show that if the
    premises are true, the conclusion must be true
    o Inductive arguments: aim to show that if the
    premises are true, the conclusion is highly
    probable
    

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11. Why need knowledge of
    epistemology, physics, gods?
    To live the best life possible
    Best human life has the lhighest goodz:
    • ultimate end/goal of all action
    • that which is only ever sought as an intrinsic
    good, not as an instrumental good
    

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12. The highest good
    For Epicurus, the highest good is pleasure (lLetter
    to Mz p. 2; Cicero p. 1, 3)
    Can you think of anything else it might be?
    

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13. Different kinds of pleasure
    • Kinetic pleasure
    o pleasure gotten from fulfilling
    desires (Cicero p. 2)
    o Problems with this? (Why
    wouldn’t it be the best pleasure?)
    • Static pleasure
    o Pleasure felt when you don’t have
    unfulfilled desires, when you have
    well being, lack of pain (“Ltr to
    M,” p. 2; Cicero p. 2)
    

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14. Goal of life: Ataraxia
    • having a life with a good deal of static pleasure
    • lack of physical or mental pain, not having
    unfulfilled desires, sense of peace and tranquility
    (lLetter to M,z p. 2)
    Tabitha the Tabby, Flickr photo shared by Steve
    Johnson, licensed CC BY 2.0
    Buddha statues at Hase-dera, Flickr photo by
    Andrea Schaffer, licensed CC BY 2.0
    

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15. How to live the best life
    Natural desires
    Necessary
    (Cicero 3-4)
    Bring pain if not fulfilled;
    necessary for happiness,
    health or life itself (Ltr M
    p. 2); e.g., food, shelter,
    rest, friendship
    Unnecessary
    Need not bring pain if not
    fulfilled; can get rid of desire
    fairly easily (Pr Doct #26,
    30); e.g., luxurious food &
    clothing, (sometimes) sex
    Vain desires
    come from “baseless
    opinion” (Pr Doct #29)
    Always unnecessary;
    e.g., power, wealth,
    fame, immortality
    

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16. Friendship important for best
    life
    • Principal Doctrines 27 & 28, Cicero p. 6-7
    • Why would friends be so important for pleasurable
    life?
    • If the highest good is pleasure for oneself, then one
    seeks friends for one’s own pleasure; can one really
    have good friendships then?
    Unspoken, Flickr photo by Marina del Castell, licensed CC BY 2.0
    

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17. Virtues important for best life
    • Principal Doctrines 5, Letter to M p. 3
    • Cicero’s text: moral virtues include wisdom,
    temperance, courage, justice
    • Epicurus’ view of justice, Pr. Doctrines 31-38:
    mutual agreements not to cause or allow harm
    o Justice is what leads to the most pleasure in
    various times/places; may be same for all people,
    or not (there may not be universal rules of justice)
    

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18. Virtues only good b/c ataraxia
    • Practicing the virtues is only instrumentally good:
    good because leads to something else that’s good
    (pleasure, ataraxia)
    • Being virtuous is not intrinsically good
    Good b/c leads to
    Happy face icon by Milky-Digital innovation,
    from The Noun Project
    How/why?
    

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